Random Path
by Rubberboots
Summary: Watari's wallowing in loneliness and depression; enter Muraki. The doctor has taken to seducing Watari, and the scientist is defenceless against his advances. Worst of all is that no one else notices his downward spiral. (TariMur, TariTat, TsuHis).
1. Prologue: Chance Encounter

**AN:         **Okay.  I've seen the anime and read to the end of the fourth volume for the manga.  I like the manga a lot better, so I'm basing this off of the first four volumes, and everything else is AU.  In other words, Watari's never seen Muraki before.  Once we've established that, we'll all be fine.  Also, I'm taking liberties with Watari's character, because I don't know all that much about it.  If you have any complaints, send me a nice long review.

Also, this was inspired by an RP I had, so yes… just bear with me.  I think it'll be good.

**Pairings:** Muraki/Watari, mentions of Tsuzuki/Hisoka, possibly Tatsumi/Watari later on.  

**Prologue:**  A Chance Encounter

It was sad, in his opinion, for someone to be sitting alone in a bar getting pleasantly plastered on sake on a Friday night, but that's exactly what he was doing.  Dressed in something other than a lab coat for once, Yutaka Watari said by himself at a small corner table in a dimly lit bar.  His long blond hair was tied back in a tighter ponytail than he normally wore, but, as usual, the shorter strands at the front had gotten loose.  Raising a delicate hand, he brushed the hair off of his face and studied the people in the bar through golden eyes.

                It was interesting, how there conversations all seemed to be variations of the same themes.  How rare it was for them to talk, or even think, about anything other than what directly affected them.  Though they occasionally dwelled in the past of showed foresight, humans lived, predominantly in the present, living each moment regardless of the consequences.

                Smiling sadly, the scientist swirled the sake in his cup.  He envied humans; envied the uncertainty in their lives.  His own past held failure, his present held disappointment, and his future held death and repetition.  Nothing more remained for Yutaka Watari.

                Taking another sip, Watari closed his eyes and sighed softly.  He was lonely, plain and simple.  Everyone had priorities, and things to keep them occupied.  

For Tatsumi, there was money.  It was always about money.  Money came before everything for the Shadow Master, even friendship.  

Teresuma and Wakaba had their odd partnership, as strange as it was.  No one else could be paired with Teresuma, so they would always have the other's strength and friendship.

And then there was Tsuzuki.  The violent-eyed Shinigami had his sweets, his friends, and his admirers.  Watari had never envied than when Tsu was in a room, he was the centre of attention.  Everyone was drawn to the man.  As large a blessing as it seemed, Tsu attracted his fair share of psychopaths.  Take Muraki for example.  Until recently, the blond never would have considered switching places with Tsuzuki; he was the other man's best friend.  What more did he need?

But then Hisoka came along.  As much as he loved and cared for the boy, he resented him.  Tsuzuki and Hisoka had each other now.  They didn't need anyone else, and Watari was jealous of that, not because he wanted Tsuzuki, but because he had lost his best friend to Hisoka.  Also, he wanted someone to love him like that, and always be there for him.  But who would ever care for a crazy, ugly mad scientist?

He slumped into his chair a little.  What did he have?  His research?  Fine companion that made late at night.  It was much the same with 003.  As much as he adored his pet, no matter how he talked to it, the owl couldn't respond.

Setting the cup down, Watari buried his face in his hands and let out a quiet sob.  He knew he shouldn't drink at times like this.  It only served to make him more upset.

He didn't move when he felt a firm hand on his shoulder.  He was too deep in his own thoughts to notice.

"Do you mind if I sit here?" came a deep, gentle voice.

Not looking up, the blond Shinigami shook his head, though he couldn't understand why someone would want to.  There were plenty of other, empty, tables, closer to the bar and to other, more sociable, people.

After a long period of silence in which Watari forgot he was no longer alone, the man sitting across from him spoke again, the barest hint of amusement in his voice.   "It's a shame for someone as beautiful as yourself to be sitting alone tonight."

Watari jerked his head up, startled out of his thoughts, more shocked at being spoken to than the man's words, because they hadn't registered.  When it dawned on him what the other had said, his cheeks reddened and a look of incomprehension covered his face.  No one had ever complimented him, let alone a fellow man.

"I… What?" he uttered out stupidly.

The man, with beautiful silver hair, pale skin and blue eyes didn't answer him, instead giving him a charming smile and producing a single violet rose apparently out of thin air.  Slowly reaching forward, he gently placed the flower behind Watari's ear.  His hand lingered there for a moment, fingering some loose strands of hair, before drawing back.  "It contrasts your eyes," the man commented.

Watari stared at the man for what seemed like an eternity.  He didn't know how to respond.  He'd never gotten a flower from someone else, and the gesture seemed far to intimate.  He raised one hand to finger it, all the while looking into the other's blue eyes.

Another smile from the silver haired man left Watari slightly breathless, and the man's words left him dumfounded.  "I've never seen anyone quite like you.  Your beauty astounds me.  What is your name?"

At a loss for words, the blond scientist could only gape at the other man.  He then suddenly figured out what was going on.  No one would ever call him beautiful.  Ever.  He let out a bitter laugh, standing up from the table.

"Its this your idea of a sick joke?" he hissed at the other man.

The silver haired man looked genuinely shocked and offended.  He stood up as well and headed over to watari, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder.  His eyes were almost pleading.  "I could never mock you.  You captivate me.  Please believe me."

Eyeing the other, Watari let himself be drawn back into his seat.  The silver haired man followed suit, taking a chair closer to Watari. Once seated, the man reached up to tuck the loose strands of blond hair behind the scientist's ear.  His fingers then gently traced along Watari's jaw.

"Please, tell me your name," the man begged.  "I want to get to know you better."

He wasn't sure if he wanted to give into the man's pleas.  The man was a human, and even if there was anything between them, it could never last.  Against his better judgement, he gave in, opening himself for disappointment.  "Yutaka Watari…"  He was just so lonely.

Disappointment came crashing down.

The man smiled triumphantly, and took the blond's hand in his own.  "Watari-san.  Such a beautiful name.  You may call me Muraki."

Immediately Watari jerked his hand out of the other's and stood so quickly his chair toppled over with a loud clatter.  Eyes wide with shock, he stared unseeingly at the silver haired man.  He didn't notice, but everyone in the bar was staring in their direction, and Muraki was looking at him in bewilderment.

"Watari-san?" Muraki asked tentatively, standing up as well.  "Is everything alright?"  The doctor had no idea as to Watari's identity.

Looking frantically for the door, Watari gave a quick bow, said, "I have to go now," and bolted.  He was going to throw up if he didn't get out of there.

Muraki ran out the door after him, but he was too late to catch the shinigami before he'd disappeared back to Eman-cho.

.-~+~*~+~-.

Once in the safety of his own lab, Watari placed his head between his knees and sobbed.  He was such an idiot!  Being approached and wooed so easily by the man who had murdered Hisoka and tormented Tsuzuki.  He was such a fool!  It was almost sickening to think of what had just happened.  He used to pride himself on being an excellent judge of character, but obviously not.  He was a failure.  That was all there was to it.  He'd been a failure in life, so it would only follow that he was a failure in death as well.

After he'd finished crying, he dried his eyes on his sleeves a little, but couldn't bring himself to move.  Given the chance, he would have remained there for the rest of his life.  He would have the opportunity to mope and berate himself.

He wasn't given the chance, however.  Tatsumi opened the door without so much as knocking and poked his head inside.  "Oi, Watari.  I was wondering if you'd finished that analysis I asked you for?"

Feeling as though the only time Tatsumi saw him was when he needed something, Watari pointed numbly towards a stack of papers sitting on the cluttered desk.

"Thank you…" Tatsumi said, and then after a pause he added cheerfully, "You look tired.  You should go home and sleep."

The second the secretary turned to leave, Watari was throwing a beaker filled with only the gods knew what at him.  It came to a shattering halt against the door just as it closed, the contents and glass fragments flying in all directions.

Tatsumi thought he needed sleep.  Tatsumi always thought he needed sleep.  Watari's moods were always brought on by exhaustion.  It couldn't be that he was upset, confused, lonely, or hurt.  Oh no.  You have to have feelings to be hurt, and everyone knows that Yutaka Watari doesn't have feelings.

Grabbing another container, he hurled it with more force into the door, and it too shattered.  Surprised by how satisfying it was, he threw another, and then another, until in an instant, he was releasing a surge of power even he didn't know he was capable of, destroying completely everything in the room.

Once finished, he was left alone in the room sobbing in the centre of the wreckage he had created, feeling more empty and alone than ever before.

.-~+~*~+~-.

Hisoka was on his way to discuss something with Tsuzuki when he ran into Watari in the hallway.  The first thing he noticed was that something was… 'off' with the man.  The blond was obviously bent on getting somewhere, and didn't even bother acknowledging the boy as he approached.

The gently brushed shoulders as they caught up, and in that brief instant, Hisoka was bombarded by the normally guarded scientist's emotions, and they frightened him.

Watari headed around a corner, but instead of following him the young Shinigami headed towards the lab.  The older man hadn't even bothered to close the door, and upon looking inside, Hisoka was horrified by the mess.  It was worse than he'd ever imagined.  Even the most expensive and hard earned equipment had been damaged beyond repair, and it was no accident.

He took off in a dead run towards the chief's office.

.-~+~*~+~-.

Watari had every intention of going home, or rather going to the living space provided by to him by Eman-cho.  Previously he would have considered the lab his home, but now it looked like the site of World War Three.

_Stupid, stupid, stupid,_ he berated himself.

He was stopped dead in his tracks the chief who was blocking the front entrance, and Hisoka who was standing behind him and off to the side.  They both stared at him as though he were a feral animal, ready to strike at any moment.

"What happened in the lab?" the chief asked kindly, though it was somewhat forced.

Watari didn't answer, his pained expression pleasing for them to simply let him leave.

The chief raised a bushy eye brow in response.  Even without Hisoka's empathy, he could tell everything wasn't fine.  "Watari?"

The scientist bit his lower lip before uttering out, "Please."  His voice was raw and almost cracking under the strain, but he'd be damned if he cried in front of the others.

Hisoka leaned forward, whispering something into the chief's ear.  He was apparently speaking of what he felt though his empathy.   The chief nodded once in reply.

"Very well, Watari.  I'm giving you two weeks of paid leave.  I seem to recall you didn't take yours last year."

Watari sighed in relief, and with a forced smile he was out the door.  He didn't have any leave from last year.  He'd used it to pay for a repair on his lab equipment.  He made a note to thank the chief once he was in better spirits… if that ever happened.

**AN:** Give me some feed back as to what you think so that I can know if I should write the next chapter.  Like a lot of authors, I'm not quite sure of my projects, so any feedback is great.  Tell me if you like it, hate it, and any improvements you think I should make on it.  It would make me very happy if you did.  Very happy indeed.

Feed the starving author.  Feed me!  Feed me!  Press the little go button and feeeeeeed me!!!


	2. Chapter I: Un Homme et son Peché

**AN:**  Ah ha!  I've never updated the quickly before!  Mostly because I've never gotten so many reviews.  I love everyone who left one!!!  *hugs for all!!!*

Chapter I:  Un Homme et son Peché

It wasn't an apartment, not under any stretch of the imagination.  It was a mess, plain and simple.  There were stacks of newspaper piling up in the corners, magazines covering the chesterfield and several large textbooks spread out over the half unpacked cardboard boxes that served as tables.  In addition, the floor was littered with crumpled balls of paper, and more than a few discarded (and burnt) lab coats.  The apartment was less of a living space and more of a storage facility; one that hadn't been visited recently, if the smell wafting from the lone cup of coffee resting precariously on an oversized medical text was any indication.

Watari wrinkled his nose a little as he entered the room, but it was more subconscious than a mental acknowledgement of the stench.  He was far too lost in thought for anything like that to register.

He couldn't believe how much of an idiot he was being, about everything.  His little encounter with Muraki was in no way his fault.  He'd never seen the man before, so for him to expect to be able to recognize the sadistic bastard was completely unreasonable.  On top of that, even Tsuzuki, who had first hand knowledge of what the doctor was capable of, had admitted that Muraki could be very charming when it suited his purposes.  No way was it his fault, so he shouldn't bother feeling guilty about it…

At least that's what he tried to tell himself.  How well it was actually working was another matter.

He slowly made his way to the bedroom and absentmindedly began clearing it of more textbooks newspaper clippings.  There were sheets on the bed, but they were covered in a thin layer of dust.  Stripping the bed of those as well, he continued his thoughts…

He wasn't sure what to think about having destroyed his lab.  He couldn't understand how he had let himself become so far go to take out his frustration on it.  Each piece of equipment in there had been the product of a lot of hard work and persuasion.  Convincing Tatsumi of parting with a penny was about as enjoyable as giving an alligator a root canal, and a lot less fruitful.  He'd paid for almost all of it himself, and now what did he have to show for it?  Two weeks vacation?

Idly, he wondered whose idea that had been; Hisoka's or the chief's?  The more he dwelled on it, the more he decided he didn't want it.  Two weeks of free time and absolutely not thing to do with it.  He couldn't continue with any experiments, and with nothing to do, he was bound to think himself into place he'd rather not go.

Remaking the bed, he decided it was better to think of some things with a clear head so, ridding himself of his clothes, he crawled into his bed and fell into a restless sleep.

.-~+~*~+~-.

Munching on a small apple-filled pastry, Tsuzuki waited for Hisoka to return from the library.  They needed to do a little more research on the case they were working on, and Hisoka had been adamant that he remain in the lounge, claiming that he would only get in the way.  Tsuzuki was more than happy to oblige.  It meant that he'd had the time to convince Wakaba she wanted to procure for him a pile of sweets.  He'd shared them with her, of course, and all in all it was a successful evening for him.

He wasn't sure about Hisoka's progress, however, and he began to get a little worried when his partner didn't get back after a while.  It wasn't as though anything bad would happen to the boy, but still…

His fears were proven unreasonable when Hisoka entered the room, but Tsuzuki did note the small frown the younger boy wore.

"Things didn't go as planned?" he asked, a little anxious.  They really needed to get the information on the case.  If they didn't solve it soon, Tatsumi would become angry, and an angry Tatsumi wasn't fun.

Hisoka shook his head a little, more to rid himself of the residue of Watari's feelings than in response to his partner.  He set a file down on the table.  "Everything went fine… It's just…"

"What?" Tsuzuki demanded, concern evident in his voice.

Hesitating a moment, the green eyed man finally replied, "It's nothing… just Watari…" he trailed off again.

Tsuzuki's face broke into a grin, misunderstanding the situation.  Watari never lacked test subjects for his experiments, mostly because they all consumed his little concoctions unwittingly.  The violet-eyed man simply assumed that the scientist was up to his old tricks.  "What did he do this time?"

Shaking his head, Hisoka replied, "It's not like that…  Watari destroyed his lab tonight…"

"What!"

"The chief sent him home and gave him some vacation time," he continued, nodding his head a little.

"Is he okay?  We have to go see him!  That lab was…"  Tsuzuki's words were coming in a nearly incoherent stream, and he was out the door before he finished, on his way to find the scientist, but then Hisoka's hand was on his wrist, holding him back.  "Hisoka…" he whined.

"He destroyed his own lab!" Hisoka exclaimed!  Tsuzuki stopped tugging his arm and looked at his partner as though he'd grown not just a second, but a third head as well.   Watari, destroy his own lab?  That thing was his baby and his home all wrapped into one.  Though the man was crazy, he would never do something to endanger it.

"He's under a lot of stress right now," Hisoka then explained.  "The best thing for him would probably to have time to sort things out on his own, so just leave him be.  If he wants to talk to you, he knows where to find you."

Tsuzuki pouted a little, be he couldn't argue with his partners logic.  "Alright then, I guess we'll go out and wrap up the case then…"

Nodding once in agreement, Hisoka let the older man lead the way.

.-~+~*~+~-.

Upon waking, the blond haired scientist was confused and disoriented. He wasn't in his lab, and he also wasn't on the couch in his office.  It took him several moments for his mind to focus enough to figure out where he was, and when he finally did, he pulled the down filled blanket up over his head and curled more tightly around his pillows.  Waking up today was a decidedly bad idea.  He wasn't going to get out of bed; he was only going to sleep for the rest of the week.

His resolve only lasted a few minutes before his eyes flashed open.  Now that he was awake, every noise in the apartment seemed to be there only to annoy him, from the ticking of the clock beside him to the low hum of the refrigerator.  To add insult to injury, the furnace kicked on at that moment, adding its grating noise to the cacophony. 

Someone up there did not want him to go back to sleep.

Even so, it took him an extended period of time to roll out of bed, literally.  He fell into a heap, tangled in his blankets.  This graceful action was followed by a fumbling search for his glasses, before he finally got up to start his day.

His effort to brew a cup of coffee was hindered by the fact that there was no coffee in the kitchen, and the same could be said for breakfast.  The only thing that remotely resembled food was something that could have been considered a half eaten bologna sandwich, if not for the other things sprouting from it.

Shaking his head, Watari decided it would be better to give up on breakfast until he had a chance to get things sorted out.

After a quick, scalding shower, the blond headed back to his office.  As much as he didn't want to go there; didn't want to see the remnants of his lab, or face his friends, he needed to get a few and pick up 003.  If he wasn't going to be around for a while he didn't want to leave the poor owl all alone.  Besides, his feathery pet could keep him company.  That way he wouldn't be talking to himself.

Watari met Wakaba in the hall as he headed towards his office.  He would have greeted her, but she grabbed him by the arm and dragged him into the nearest empty room.  Quickly, she shut the door behind them and gave him a pitying smile.  "I wouldn't go out there if I were you."

"Why not?" he asked, though he had the sinking feeling he knew why.

The girl put a hand on Watari's shoulder and leaned forward to whisper in his ear.  

"Tatsumi's on a real rampage right now," she explained.  "Whatever you were doing in your lab last night damaged more than just your equipment, and the chief won't let him take the money for repairs out of your pay check."

The mad scientist gave Wakaba a sickly smile.  "Oh…"  Meeting Tatsumi in the hallway would be a bad thing right now.  "I see."

The little guardian cocked her head to the side and peered at Watari, mismatched eyes inquisitive.  "Why exactly are you here, if you don't mind me asking?  Terezuma told me you were on vacation or something."

 "Or something," Watari muttered to himself, shaking his head slightly, before offering he a grin.   "Oh, I am.  I just thought I'd pick up 003.  Don't want him to get lonely."  It was more like he didn't want to get lonely, but it wasn't as though he were going to tell her that.

Wakaba returned the grin.  "If that's the case, your just wait here and I'll go nab him for you.  No need for you to get into an argument with Tatsumi"

Watari smiled back and nodded in agreement.  "Tatsumi's _scary_."

The girl giggled a little and darted out the door, promising to return quickly.  Watari turned to look out the window at the sakura blossoms, but turned back around when he heard the door open, surprised that Wakaba had come back so quickly… except it wasn't Wakaba.

"Tatsumi…"  The blonde's voice deflated.

The secretary gave him a dark look.  "What are you doing here?" he demanded, his voice cold.

Fiddling with the hem of his sleeve, Watari replied, "I was just picking up a few things…"

The other's glare deepened.  "What the hell were you doing last night?"

Watari winced.  "I had a mishap in the lab…"

"A mishap?" Tatsumi asked incredulously, his voice rising in anger.  "Is that what you call it?  Because of your stupidity we're going to run low on funds.  The money for repairs is going too come out of the department's budget.  Your selfishness…"

Watari had been trying to interrupt the other, politely, when finally it became too much.  With his hands covering his ears, like a child, he cried, "Shut up!  Just shut up!"

Tatsumi took a step back, shocked by the blonde's out burst.  The scientist almost never got angry; especially not with his friends.

"You're certainly one to talk about being selfish, Tatsumi," Watari snarled.  "You've never done anything in your life that wasn't for money.  You care more about hording your money than you do about the people around you!"  Visibly shaking, he delivered a final, low blow.  "But think, what will you have if you don't spend it and drive all of your friends away?  Might as well be poor…  No, you might as well be dead."

The brown-haired secretary stared blankly at Watari, not showing that the other's words had actually struck a chord.  "Think what you will Yutaka."

Tatsumi turned to leave, but gave a start when he saw Wakaba standing in the doorway, a look of confusion on her face.  She send the older man a look of pity before stepping aside and letting him leave.  He pushed past her and closed the door with slightly more force than was needed.

The guardian sent Watari a withering glace, and 003 squawked indignantly, as if for emphasis.  "That was uncalled for."

Deep down, the mad scientist knew that Wakaba was right, but he would never be able to admit it.  There was some truth to what he said, and Tatsumi just made him _so_ angry.  He couldn't help but lash out.  Unfortunately, it only made him feel worse, because now Tatsumi was hurt as well.

Noting the guilt in Watari's eyes, the girl felt a little sympathy for him.  Handing off the small owl, she patted the scientist on the shoulder.  "Go home and get some rest, you need it."

Watari nodded numbly in reply.  "Thank you Wakaba."

With that he was on his way home, having just alienated a friend, feeling almost as miserable as he had the night before, and still alone.

**AN:  **Whoo hoo!  I know, no Muraki in this chapter, but there's going to be a lot of him in the next so don't worry.

On another note, I've been told I need to recruit more people to join the YnM cast with the Muck I'm on.  You know, the one that sort of inspired this.  ^.^  There's actually quite a few characters open.  Tatsumi and Oryia if you watched the anime, and nearly all of the secondary characters from the mange (Wakaba, Terezuma, Yuma, etc…)  Send me an e-mail or tell me in a review if your interested.  I can get you the stuff for it.  ^.^

I'm grateful for all of the food you guys fed me last time, so I'll try and get the next chapter up soon.

Please review and feed the author.


	3. Chapter II: Willing or Not

**AN:  **Okay, another chapter, and as promised, there's quite a bit of Muraki goodness.

                Also, I plan on re-writing the first two chapters again, because I've decided to base this as after the anime.  Just keep that in mind.  

                *bounces* Ah ha!  No more exams.  Expect (hopefully) more updates, more quickly.  That's the plan.

**Chapter II**

Willing or Not

Time wasn't an independent variable.  At least that's what Watari had learned through reading up on Einstein's theory of relativity.  Time was dependant on the observer's movement in space, just as space was dependant on the observer's movement in time.  Only the speed of light was constant.  It was almost believable, staring up at the stars.  Individual constellations had been there for thousands of years, and they would continue to shine, almost unchanging, for thousands more.  Twenty years from now, he could return to the very same spot, and though the landscape would be different, he could look up at the same constellations.

But then there were stars that ran out of fuel, and went supernova or that collapsed in on themselves.  It could take years, even centuries for scientists and astrologist to even notice that it was missing.  Watari shook his head a little.  Stars weren't really constant.  Eventually they burned out.  Nothing in life was constant.  Not even death, as inevitable as it was.

Sighing and stretching loudly, Watari leaned into the bench and let his head flop backwards.  He heard his neck crack satisfyingly and closed his eyes.

He was sitting at the same bench as Tsuzuki had during the whole episode with Maria Wong.  He knew this because he'd gone through the files.  He considered it his goal in life to know and understand everything in life, and an incident pertaining to his friends was in no way the least of his concerns.

The frown he hadn't realized was on his face slowly turned into a smile when he noticed 003 was asleep on his lap.  The little owl looked so peaceful there, though the fact that she'd fallen asleep on the mad scientist was only proof as to how late it had actually gotten.  No one in their right mind would fall asleep near Watari. Who knew what colour their hair would be when they woke up.

Careful not to wake the sleeping owl, Watari gathered her into his hands and gently slipped her into the kangaroo pouch of his jacket.  It would be nice and warm there, and the soft material would provide and excellent nest.

He contemplated returning home to get some rest, but the idea of being alone was just as unappealing as it had been for the past few days.  Unfortunately, the only places that were open that late at night were places he wouldn't normally frequent; bars and clubs.  He weighed his options.  Muraki had been at the same bar as him, which turned him off that type of locations, and while the loud, heavy club music wasn't his thing, it was substantially more inviting that solitude.

Rousing 003, he told the owl what he'd planned, and send the bird home on his own.  He received an annoyed hoot, but the little owl was too tired to argue further.

He entered the first club that caught his eyes, and almost turned away immediately when he was bombarded by the heavy beat, the noise and the smell.  It was either this or being alone, though, so he forced himself to go in.

He worked his way through the sea of swaying bodies to the bar, sensing instantly that he was out of place.  From his attire to his attitude, he didn't fit in.  He was a child of the sixties, so the leather, makeup, and general punk/goth attitude was foreign to him.  For all his ability to adapt to changing times, he could never understand why someone would choose to pierce their bodies.  It hurt!  Why knowingly submit yourself to the pain, not once, but multiple times.  And that didn't even compare to getting tattoos…

Despite being the same physical age as the people around him, he felt utterly out of place.

Signalling to the bar tender, he ordered a drink and nursed it slowly.  He grabbed a bar stood, and swivelled around to watch the bodies move on the floor.  It amazed him how flexible some of them were.  It was almost surreal…

He was startled out of his semi-trance by a gentle hand on his shoulder.  He froze, half expecting it to be Muraki, but he sighed in relief when his fears were unfulfilled.

A young woman of maybe twenty dressed in black leather and sporting several ear piercings, though nothing worse, slid onto the stood beside him, smiling coyly.  "Would you care to dance?"

The blond scientist had to stifle his laughter at the question.  First off, he couldn't remember the last time he'd danced, and second, he had most definitely never danced like _that_.  Offering the girl a faint smile of his own, he shook his head.  "Sorry.  I don't dance."

The girl laughed prettily, the tiny, bottle red curls bouncing as she did so.  She grinned in return, but before bounding off to the dance floor, she added, "You know where to find me if you change your mind."

She melted into the crowd, immediately finding a dance partner.  The whole encounter made Watari smile.  It was nice to see that people could still be kind hearted, making sure even the ugly ones didn't feel left out.   He stared into his cup, not really sure anymore what he'd ordered.  He put it down forcefully in disgust, liquid splashing over the rim.  He had no idea what he was doing here, and drinking certainly wasn't going to solve any of his problems.

He glanced quickly around the crowd, and knew that he wasn't going to solve his problems by sticking around here either.  It was more than just having a different attitude than the people here, it was also that he was over thirty years older than most of them.  He didn't share their values, their interests, anything.  The cliché of being alone in the crowd never seemed more applicable.

He was out the door within instants of realizing thins.  It was better to be alone in actuality than to be trying to delude himself into thinking he wasn't.  He left in such a hurry that he wasn't paying attention to the street.  He collided with a firm figure and would have stumbled backwards if not for the pale hands steadying him.

His heart sank when he guessed who the hands belonged to, and it skipped a beat when he looked up and his fears were realized.  He pulled away immediately, his entire body trembling.  "What are you doing here?"

Muraki smiled beautifully, though amusement filled his eyes.  "And it's a pleasure meeting you hear as well, Watari-san.  It's a beautiful night for a walk.  Would you care to join me?"

Shaking his head vehemently, the scientist took another step back from the silver haired man, nearly backing into a couple on their way home.  Watari could barely contain the trembling in his voice as he spoke, "I'd rather not."

"A shame," the doctor, though it sounded more calculating than anything else. Suddenly, a sly smile crossed Muraki's face.  "Are you sure?  The moon is quite lovely tonight."

Watari spared a quick glance to the sky and felt his heart stop again.  The moon was blood read.  He didn't let the fear he felt read on his face, though he didn't trust himself to respond.  He couldn't speak without stuttering and showing weakness.

Continuing to stare at Watari patiently, the taller man took a step forward, and the blonde stepped away, to the left this time so that he wouldn't block the doorway.  This earned him another smile.  Polite, even under duress.  With another few intimidating steps, Watari had his back pressed up against the wall and Muraki was standing only inches from him, though their bodies didn't touch.

A pale hand reached up to finger Watari's long hair, pulling a few strands loose from the braid the scientist had put it in.  "Exquisite."

Watari's breath came in short, shallow gasps.  He felt like a cornered animal, and cornered animals only had two ways to respond: fleeing and attacking.  Since the former wasn't an option, the blond scientist had every intention on using his knee as a battering ram.

Unfortunately, Muraki seemed to predict this and had already stepped closer, limiting the blonde's range of motion.  Trapped between the silver-haired man's arms, Watari could do nothing as the other's lips descended towards his own.  He turned his head at the last instant, causing Muraki to kiss his cheek, though it didn't do him any good.  The doctor only began to trail his tongue along the blonde's jaw and up to his ear lobe.

Watari let out a small whimper as the doctor's tongue played with his ear, and he had to bite his lower lip to stop from making any more noise when the taller man began nipping and sucking at his neck.  His own hands reached up to grab the doctor's upper arms, though whether it was to draw the man closer or push him away, Watari didn't know.

He was saved from finding out when a car horn blared in response to the display, distracting Muraki for an instant.  It was enough time for the mad scientist to make an escape.  He was gone out of sight and back to his apartment before the doctor could so much as turn around, though Watari had the feeling that the doctor had simply just let him go.

-+~*~+-

It was two days before Watari was willing to step outside his apartment.  During that time, he took it upon himself to do a little research of the hacking variety.  He searched every database on Earth he could get into and had Wakaba send him all of the files she could get her hands on for information pertaining to Muraki Kazutaka.  Finally, he drew up the details on every place that had ever employed the good doctor, making himself a rather impressive biography on the man.  A biography with one rather glaring problem; it was littered with holes.

Muraki had been engaged at one point; What ever happened to the woman?  Where had Muraki gone after Tsuzuki destroyed his lab by summoning the Tern Snake?  How had he lost his eye? And most importantly, what horrible plan was he working one now?

The blond scientist shuddered a little to even consider it.

Sitting, hunched over his laptop, 003 perched precariously on his shoulder, glasses poised at the end of his nose, he taped away furiously on the keys.  The silver haired doctor confused him.  The man had so many sides it was impossible to tell the true man.  Was he a doctor? A rapist and murderer? A man obsessed with his brother's death? Or was he the charming, yet manipulative man Watari had encountered?  It was too difficult for the mad scientist to see Muraki as being all of that at once.

He leaned backwards and let out a sigh of frustration, running a hand roughly through his unbound hair.  This upset 003's perch, causing the owl to squawk in annoyance.  The blonde lifted a hand to placate the bird.  Poor 003 was going stir crazy being cooped up in Watari's small apartment for two days straight.  The scientist felt it as well.  He wasn't used to having so much free time on his hands; free time to think himself into a rather dark hole.

Watari stood up suddenly, throwing his hands into the air and letting out an exasperated groan. 

"I need to get out," he told his owl, as he held his arm out for 003 to land on before heading to the human world.

It was nice to feel the breeze in his hair once there, even if it was a little cold.  He hand no idea what to do with himself, however.  It was near mid-day, but he wasn't hungry, and he didn't want to go to the library.  The latter was no escape for him.  If he wanted to read, he could easily take one of the many volumes off the shelves (or floor) in his room.

There was a little electronics store that caught his eye, solving his current dilemma.  003 flapped off to go explore a little outside, leaving the scientist to amuse himself by looking at the newest models of computers and various software programs.  He lacked the funds to purchase anything, but he'd always had a love for computers.

He was amazed at hoe much better these computers were than the one's he had to work with in Emancho. Tatsumi was too tight-fisted to let them get anything better, though.

This thought caused him to choke up a little.  He'd said things to the other man that, while somewhat true, were hurtful and entirely uncalled for.  Part of him wanted to apologize, but the small amount of pride he had wouldn't let him.  The secretary was more concerned with money than for his own friends, so Watari certainly wasn't going to go crawling back on all fours to beg for forgiveness.

Watari was so caught up in his anger that he didn't hear the door open to the shop, and didn't notice the other person until a set of strong arms were wrapped around his waist, and lips were brushing his ear.  "You know what they say about meeting a person by chance three times…"

Freezing, the blond scientist couldn't respond.  Muraki.  The man was stalking him, somehow.  It was the only possible explanation.  He tried to pull away, but the arms only tightened around him, pulling him closer to the doctors firm, warm body.

Again, the lips brushed against the blonde's ear.  A tongue soon followed, laving Watari's neck. The silver haired man's voice was deeper than normal, and huskier.  "They say that it's no longer coincidence, but destiny that brings them together."

"Let me go," Watari demanded, his own voice far more steady than he felt.

Surprisingly, Muraki obeyed, but didn't back away. Watari could not turn around with out brushing against the doctor and ending up with his face much closer to the other's than would be comfortable.  He didn't turn around, instead he asked, voice still steady, "What do you want from me?"

Watari could almost feel the smile the man behind him wore, smug and mischievous.  A hand ran down his side and came to rest on his hip.  It remained there, caressing the area, and when the doctor replied, he was almost purring.  "I thought I'd made it obvious the last time.  I want you."

The blond scientist froze once again, completely taken aback.  There was no place in his mind that had even considered that response to his question.  No one was ever interested in plain, ugly Watari.  People only used him, and expected things from him.  He shuddered involuntarily, and responded the same way.  "Willing or not."

It was the doctor's turn to be taken aback, though Watari couldn't tell if it was really or acting.  "Willing or not at all."

The hand on his hip traced a line up to the blonde's chest carefully depositing a small card in the breast pocket.  Another quick lick to the mad scientist's neck, and Muraki said, "I'm not going to force you into anything.  I won't touch you again unless come to me.  You have my address."

With that said, the doctor was gone, leaving Watari trembling in his wake.  Tentatively, he reached up and pulled out the small card.  On it, indeed, was the address to an apartment in Kyoto.  

Watari quickly left the shop, and he worked at convincing himself first, that Muraki was lying, and once 003 rejoined him, that the whole incident hadn't happened at all.  Of course, he didn't bother to throw out the address.

**AN:**  Adore Muraki with me.

                Also, I've been told to demand that you all give me random plot filler in your reviews, or else I won't update again.  Go random plot filler!

                And again, if anyone is interested in joining the MUCK I play on, please e-mail/leave a review.  Our cast is pitiful.  We want you to play!  ^.^

                Review and feed the author.


	4. Chapter III: A Few Choice Words

**AN:         **Woot!  Another chapter up and done.  Thank you very much to everyone who replied, and a special thanks to my friend Dace and to dragonflower1 who helped me with random plot filler.  Also, thank you Kara Angitia, and nobody's home  who helped with random plot filler that wasn't exactly what I would call random, but it did help shape the story a little.  Anyway, enjoy, because it took me a while to actually write, and is much longer than other chapter.

**Chapter III**

**A Few Choice Words**

Hisoka walked into his office to see Tsuzuki standing, back straight, lower lip trembling, almost ready to cry.  The dark haired man noticed his partner enter the room and was immediately at his side, giving him a look that begged sympathy.  The younger man could only roll his eyes in response, though he did refrain from calling the other an idiot.

"Hisoka…" the brown haired man whined, drawing out the name.  "Tatsumi got mad at me."

This time to boy did call his partner an idiot.  "Tatsumi is always made at you.  You're lazy and you never get your work done."

"You don't have to say it like _that_," Tsuzuki whined again, before turning somewhat serious.  "But he was really angry with me this time, and I hadn't done anything wrong.  I was on time, and I wasn't eating."  He leaned over to whisper into Hisoka's ear.  "I think something's up with him."

Tsuzuki might not have been the most reliable person when it comes to office work and the like, but the older shinigami seemed to have, even without Hisoka's empathy, the ability to sense the moods of those around him.  "Would you like me to go talk to him?"

By 'talk to him' Hisoka really meant go to the secretary with some work related business and use his empathy to learn if anything was, in fact, wrong.

Tsuzuki was about to respond to the affirmative, but the object of their concern had started to glare at them.  The sweet-loving shinigami took a step bad and moved behind the younger man, who could only roll his eyes once again.

"Good morning, Tatsumi-san," Hisoka greeted when the secretary approached.

"You two had better get to work," Tatsumi suggested, mush more harshly that was strictly necessary.  He then gave Tsuzuki a disdainful glance before turning his attention back to the younger shinigami.  "You really shouldn't let useless fools like this distract you from your work.  He might end up dragging you down to his level.  You have the chance to make much more of yourself than he has."

Tsuzuki whimpered, and Hisoka could only glare at the secretary.  That was simply cruel and unnecessary, and yet it didn't feel as though the insults were truly aimed at Tsuzuki.  It was as though his words were simply a defence mechanism.  Something else _was_ bothering Tatsumi, and he was taking it out on the first available target, the relatively innocent Tsuzuki.

Tatsumi started to leave, but turned around suddenly.  "Watari should be returning to the office today.  If you happen to see him, tell him to stop by my office.  I need to talk with him."

The dark haired shinigami had the intelligence to wait until the secretary was out of hearing range before whining.  "I told you he was being mean!"

Hisoka raised his hand to pat his partner on the shoulder reassuringly, though Tatsumi wasn't so much being mean as being preoccupied.

.-+~*~+-.

Tsuzuki was the one who first spotted Watari after their run-in with the secretary.  He'd been walking down the hallway when he noticed the light in the scientist's lab was on.  The laboratory had previously been closed up, because Tatsumi stated quite forcefully that he wouldn't be paying anyone to clean up Watari's mess.  The blond haired shinigami was going to have to clean up his own mess, on his own time.

As it was, someone had snuck in there earlier to tidy up a little.  The broken glass and chemical spills had been cleared away, and the equipment that looked remotely salvageable had been placed on one side of the room.  The room was by no means clean, but at least when Watari got around to repairing the damage he would have some place to start from.

Tsuzuki watched his friend stare at his lab.  The blonde was… almost lost.  If Tsuzuki didn't know any better, he would have said Watari was almost on the verge of tears.  But then, Watari never cried over anything, no matter how bad.  He was even better than Tsuzuki at keeping a positive, up beat attitude, except his was actually real.

Putting on his disguise of perpetual hyper-ness, Tsuzuki stepped into the room.  

"Knock, knock, Watari!  Is anybody home?" The brown haired shinigami's voice was cheerful.

Watari quickly wiped his face with the sleeves of his lab coat before turning around, though the room wasn't quite bright enough for the older shinigami to tell if his eyes were actually red or not.  The blonde was smiling though.  "Oh!  Good morning Tsuzuki.  An impressive mess I've made isn't it.  It's almost as spectacular as one of your mishaps."

Tsuzuki had to cover up the hurt from that comment.  It stung a little, hearing something like that from his friend, even if he did know it was only a joke.  Still, he smiled and laughed along with the mad scientist's joke.  "Yeah.  Almost."

Once Watari's laughter subsided, Tsuzuki noted that the blonde scrubbed at his eyes again with his sleeves.  "I've got something in my eyes," he tries to explain.

Tsuzuki nods, believing the excuse.  He then changes the subject.  "So how was your vacation?"

The blond scientist tensed visibly at the question, and Tsuzuki couldn't figure out why.  It confused him even more when the blonde responded with, "It was fine.  I got a lot of paperwork done."  Paperwork wouldn't have made the blonde tense like that.

Tsuzuki shifted from foot to foot, smile on his face, trying to think of something to say.  The only thing that came to mind was, "Tatsumi wants to talk to you when you get the chance."

"He does?"  Watari asked, sounding startled.  He couldn't understand what the secretary would want from him, unless, of course, it was to yell at him yet again, and he wasn't interested in that.  "Did he say way?"

Shaking his head, the older, bubbly man took a step back, about to make a tactful exit.  "No.  He just wanted to talk with you."  He looked patiently at Watari, waiting for the blonde to say something.  When the man didn't, Tsuzuki turned tail and all but bolted from the room.  The mad-scientist was moping, and Tsuzuki was afraid he was going to have his head bitten off, or exploded, or something to that affect.

"Oh," Watari replied to an empty room.  There was no way he was going to meet with Tatsumi that day.  They would simply get into another argument.  He didn't believe he had the mental capacity to survive that.

Rolling up his sleeves, the scientist then pulled his long blond hair into a loose bundle at the nape of his neck.  No use getting his hair caught in his mouth as worked, or in the way of his hands.   He couldn't help the loose strands that fell into his eyes, however.  He just learned to live with them.

.-+~*~+-.

Tatsumi threw the last of his reports on his desk in annoyance.  Through no fault of their out, the workers in his division were spending more and more money on their assignments, the costs of supplies in the mortal world had gone up, and the Earl didn't even consider giving them a larger budget.  Slumping in his chair, the secretary pushed his glasses back up on his face before pinching the bridge of his nose.

He was, in some way or another, rather glad that no one had told Watari to come to his office.  As much as he resented the blonde's comments about his obsession with money, he had no desire to get into an argument with the man.  The easiest way to handle the whole situation would simply be to hand the blonde a memo.  No yelling, no arguments, and Watari still had to pay for the damage to the building.

It was nearly late evening before he finished with his paperwork; and assessment of the budget.  He assumed nearly everyone in the office had left, though there were still a few lights on.  No one would have left the lights on by accident, at least no anymore.  He'd made quite the lesson out of the last person who'd been forgetful in that regard.  Whoever had left the lights on was still in the building.

Tatsumi wasn't surprised to see that Terazuma was one of the few still working that late.  The secretary had very little to do with the man, but Terazuma was one of the only people who hadn't succumb to Tsuzuki's charms.  He wasn't sure why, but nearly everyone who came into contact with the violet-eyed shinigami couldn't say no to the man.  Konoe, who saw Tsuzuki almost as a son, was the worst, followed closely by Hisoka, who loved him, and himself, who had always had a soft spot for his former partner, despite his comments to the contrary.  Only Terazuma was immune, though his hatred for Tsuzuki left him blind on some occasions.

As he considered this, Tatsumi suddenly realized that Watari was also immune to Tsuzuki.  The two men were good friends, and the blonde almost always gave into the other man's schemes and pleas.  In return, however, when the scientist wanted something or put his foot down, Tsuzuki was quick to listen.

Tatsumi shook his head.  He envied to two men that.  If he were a little more like the two of them, the division might have had a little more money.

He ran into Terazuma at the photocopier and gave him a short greeting.

"Are you going home?" the darker haired man asked in response.

Tatsumi nodded.  He'd gotten a headache from staring at figures all day.  "And you?"

"No," the other man replied tersely, though it wasn't malicious.  It was simply how the shinigami responded to everything.  "Wakaba and I need to compare notes on the case we're working on.  We've both hit dead ends."

The secretary nodded once again in understanding.  Shinigami always worked in pairs.  There were almost never exceptions.  Unfortunately for Terazuma, he was even less partnerable than his rival, and it wasn't entirely due to his personality, either.  Wakaba was the only person who could change Terazuma back after he'd transformed, so it only made sense for her to partner with him.  The two didn't care for each other all that much, however, and never got together outside the office to work on a case.

"Don't forget to turn the lights out," Tatsumi reminded before turning to head home.  Wakaba poked her head out the door and waved hello, and the secretary barely nodded yet again in response.  He didn't stop moving until he was startled by the lights still on in Watari's lab.  Right then, it wouldn't have surprised him if the mad scientist had left them on, but he heard voices coming from inside.  He couldn't say what possessed him to, but the secretary opened the door with out knocking, and let himself in.

"Watari," he said, catching the blonds attention, completely ignoring Hisoka and Tsuzuki, though he had to hide the mild surprise he felt at seeing them there.  "Can I speak with you for a moment?"

The blonde's eyes darted briefly towards his two friends before he offered the secretary a weak smile.  Tatsumi took that moment to note that Watari had made great progress in cleaning his lab, though it seemed that the two other shinigami had helped him.  Tatsumi didn't understand why, but for some reason, this made him angry.  He know it was unreasonable, so he tried to dismiss it.

The secretary looked up and saw Watari's smile becoming progressively sicklier.  "Yes?"

"I'd like t talk to you about how you plan on paying for the damages to the building."

The blond scientist swallowed visibly, uncomfortable to be having this type of discussion in front of other people.  "I assume it will be coming out of my pay check."

The taller shinigami nodded, and then ploughed on.  "I'll also be cutting all funding to your lab."

Watari's face fell, but he waited patiently for the secretary to continue.  When the taller man didn't, he asked tentatively, "For how long?"

Tatsumi's lips quirked up in an odd smile.  "Permanently."

That single worked roused the scientist's anger, and Watari slammed his had down on the counter, startling the two unwilling observers.  "You can't do that!"

Tatsumi remained calm.  "I can, and have."

"But how will any research be conducted.  How do you expect to get tests done?"

"Any tests that need to be done can be run at another division, and can be paid for from the budget."

"That's bull shit!" Watari exclaimed, his whole body trembling.

Both Tsuzuki and Hisoka could only stare at the two arguing shinigami, at a complete loss for words.  Watari was right.  There wasn't enough money in a case budget to pay for tests at another division's lab.  It wasn't so much that, as Watari's reaction.  They'd never seen him angry, and had _never_ heard him swear.  The both wondered if they should leave, but feared drawing attention to themselves.

"It's hardly 'bull shit,'" Tatsumi replied coldly.  "You lab's 'mishaps' have cost this department far too much.  Your spectacular failures are unnecessary here."

Watari clenched his firsts together and ground his teeth, trying to rein his temper. Anyone in the room could see that Tatsumi's words had struck a chord with the blonde.  "I hardly think my contributions to this department cost more money than sending everything to another lab.  And my experiments are hardly 'failures,' as you put it.  They've saved this department more money that I can count."

"I doubt you have any basis denying what I'm saying, Watari-san, since I'm the one who does the budget, not you."

"If this is because of what I said to you the other day, then I'm sorry!" the blonde exclaimed.  "I was angry, and lashing out.  Please don't do this."

"My decision is hardly influenced by what you say or do, Watari-san," the secretary replied, his voice hard.  Everyone in the room knew the man was lying, but however untrue, they understood what was being implied.  It was something along the lines of, "I don't care about what you think, and your friendship means nothing."

The mad scientist bit his lip, trembling and trying not to lash out again.  His face remained calm when he spoke, but his voice was trembling with barely suppressed rage. 

 "You don't care about what your friends think, do you Tatsumi?  As long as you have money, you don't need friends.  You only want lackeys, you selfish bastard!"  Watari was all but yelling when he finished.

The taller man raised one eyebrow in what seemed to be amusement.  "Better a selfish bastard than a flighty failure of a scientist who blew himself up in a lab explosion."

Freezing, eyes wide, Watari's mouth fell open.  Tsuzuki and Hisoka felt much the same way, though for very different reasons.  It was more than bad manners to bring up a shinigami's death.  It was a forbidden topic, and Watari had been one of the most vehement about sticking to that rule.  The blonde knew only what other people were willing to tell him about their pasts, an in return, no one asked him about his own.

Tears were forming in the blonde's eyes, but he refused to cry in front of the others. Quickly grabbing his coat, Watari left the room with little more than a glare and an "I'll see you tomorrow."

.-+~*~+-.

Tatsumi hadn't bothered to close the door behind him when he went into Watari's lab, so both Terazuma and Wakaba could hear everything that was said.  They weren't normally the type of people to listen into other's conversations, but they were afraid it would come to blows and they might have to intervene.

Terazuma winced at Tatsumi's final comment, and the usually chipper girl returned it.  More might have passed between them, but Watari stormed out of his lab and into the hallway.  The blonde's hair was loose, falling to cover his face, but anyone could see the man was on the verge of tears.

Terazuma was about to storm into Watari's lab and demand an explanation from the secretary for his actions, but Wakaba placed a firm hand on his shoulder.  "Let me talked to Tatsumi-san.  You go see if Watari needs anything."

The dark haired man nodded in reply.  It was the better plan.  That way they wouldn't have to risk him trying to tear off the secretary's head if he got to frustrated.  Not that he could, but this way it wouldn't come to blows.

He quickly jogged off in the blonde's direction and called out to him.  The shorter man stopped and turned around, eyes dry and a faint smile on his face.  If Terazuma hadn't known better, he would have said nothing had happened.  He stopped short of the man, at a loss for words.  He had no idea how to comfort someone who didn't look to be in pain, so he said the first thing that came to mind.  "Would you like to go out for a few drinks?  I'll buy."

Watari looked to consider the offer quite thoroughly.  "Alright," he finally replied, not wanting to have to spend yet another night at home, by himself. Especially not after what his friend had said to him.  It surprised him that Terazuma bothered asking him, let alone offering to pay, but he was rather glad to accept.

They headed out to a small bar Terazuma knew, and then proceeded to order a few rounds.  Not much conversation passed between the two of them, both lost in thought.

The silence in the bar slowly started to bother Watari as much as the solitude had, and eventually, after only two drinks, he stood up; somewhat tipsy, but not off balance.

"Thank you for the drinks, Terazuma-san, but I think I'm just going to go home and get some rest."

The taller shinigami seemed to accept this, and waved Watari off.  Once outside the bar, the blonde stuffed his hands into his coat pocket to protect them from the cold.  One hand came into contact with a folded square of paper, and he pulled it out to read what was on it: a little bit of scribbled writing.  A small, deranged smile crossed the blonds face.

.-+~*~+-.

Muraki was writing in his journal when he heard a faint knock on his door.  He planned on ignoring it, but it came again, and was rather persistent.  Closing the journal, the doctor placed it in the desk drawer and locked it before getting up.  He opened the door and was pleasantly surprised.

"So what happens when two people meet by chance for a fourth time?" a rather dishevelled looking blonde asked, a faint smile on his face.

Muraki couldn't help but return the smile with a charming grin of his own.  "I do believe the one must ask the other inside."

The silver haired man held the door open for Watari to enter, then closed and locked it behind him.

**AN:  **Ha ha!  It's finished, Tatsumi's a complete an utter bastard, and I actually like Muraki.  I didn't plan it this way, I just needed a reason for things to happen, and this seemed feasible.  Poor Watari.

For YuYuHakushoismyLIFE, a muck is a place for online Role Playing.  For the one I'm on, it's a sort of AU world where you can play any anime of video game character you want, within reason.  It's rather amusing. 

I hope you enjoyed, it, hope someone else shows remote interest in playing on the muck, and please feed the author.  She'll love you for it. ^.^


	5. Chapter IV

**AN:         **Gah!  I'm sorry it took so long for me to update.  It started off as me having no idea what I was going to do with this, and then I was away for spring break, and then I had a ton of tests and projects, and then I had badminton four times a week, and then there was my birthday…. Finally I have it typed an posted.  I'm glad for the positive response, and I love everyone who reviews!  You guys are great.  Enjoy the next chapter. It turned out to be a lot longer than expected.

**Chapter IV**

Angst

It was warm, dark and blessedly comfortable where he lay.  He didn't wake up enough to remember the previous night.  His mind didn't register the dull ache in his body or the foreign location, or the warm form lying beside him.  Rolling onto his side, he curled up against the warmth and went back to sleep, more comfortable and rested then he had been all the previous nights combined.

When he awoke a second time he was more coherent.  He could feel every muscle in his body throbbing in a dull, restless pain, and the firm arm trapping his body.  Without his glasses the room was blurred and unfamiliar.  He felt a moments panic.  Fumbling for his glasses, he dislodged himself from the arm.

The blond scientist didn't find his glasses but, though his weakened vision made it difficult, he was able to see who was sleeping beside him.  He was close enough for that.  Propelling himself off the bed, everything from the night before came back.  He landed in a heap on the ground, not because he was tangled in the sheets, but because he was so frantic to get away.

He'd slept with Muraki!  He'd slept with the very man who'd murdered and _raped_ Hisoka, and he'd done it out of his own free will.  It didn't matter that he was drunk, or upset.  Those were excuses for hitting on someone's girlfriend, crying on their shoulder, or spontaneously dying hair and getting multiple nose piercings.  It was _not_ and excuse for running to a mass murderer or serial rapist.  There was no excuse for that.

The loud tumble work the sleeping doctor, and the sliver haired man rolled over to see what the commotion was.  When Muraki saw the blonde sprawled on the floor, a smile passed over his face.  "I imagine you're rather uncomfortable down there.  Maybe you should consider joining me back her and warming up a little."

The doctor has picked up on the goose bumps starting to form on Watari's flesh. They weren't from the cold, however.  They were from the doctor's intense stare.  He immediately wished he could curl up and disappear into the floor.  As it was, he felt incredibly vulnerable.  He tried to scramble back across the floor, limps flailing.  He managed to reach the wall, which he considered a relatively safe distance from the doctor, and stopped, using a chair to pull himself up.  He was self-conscious about his nudity and tried to cover himself as much as possible without appearing to do so.

Muraki responded by arching one eyebrow wryly at his display.  "As much as I enjoy the view, I'd much rather admire it up close.  Come back to bed."

                Shaking his head, Watari's eyes darted frantically around the room, searching for his clothing.  He needed to leave, but he certainly wasn't going to show up half naked in Meifu.  That would simply be rubbing salt in the wound.

"I don't think so…" Watari began, much more calmly than he felt.  "I need to be going.  Work…"

Muraki grinned mischievously.  "And where you have to go is more entertaining that what you were doing here?"

"No, but…"  Watari caught himself with a hand a hand clasped over his mouth.  He realized what he'd just admitted, and not just to Muraki.  He'd _enjoyed_ what had happened the night before.  It didn't matter that he'd gotten his pleasure at the hands of a sociopath.  He'd enjoyed it.  He wouldn't be able to look at himself in the mirror again, let alone look his friends in the eyes.  And, oh gods, Hisoka's empathy…

"Whatever you're doing can't be that pressing…"

The blonde shook his head again.  "I have to go to work," he mumbled nervously.  "Could you tell me where my clothes are?"

Muraki laughed softly at the blonde and pointed to the floor on his side of the bed.

"Thank you," Watari mumbled again and shuffled with embarrassment around the bed.  The doctor lay there, arms folded comfortably across his chest, uncaring of his stark nudity.  The silver haired man only smiled in response to Watari's awkward motions.  

The blonde bent to pick up his garments, but before he could reach them a strong hand grabbed his are and dragged him onto the bed.  In the time it took him to gather his thoughts Watari found himself pinned down on his back with the silver haired man straddling his waist, predatory grin on his face.

"Now," Muraki began, but paused to nip lightly at Watari's neck. He then soothed it with his tongue.  "Isn't this much more entertaining than work?  I doubt anyone will even know you're gone."

Craning his head to the side to give the silver haired doctor better access, Watari gave in to the ministrations.  Muraki's words were ironically correct, and the blonde lost all desire to try and leave.   He was much more resistive the second time around, but no less willing.

______

Hisoka walked into the break room that morning unsurprised to find Tsuzuki already there.  He himself had been at work for over an hour, and only now was feeling hungry, but his violet eyed partner always stopped in to grab caffeine and sweets.

"Good morning," he greeted, far more pleasantly than Tsuzuki had any right to expect.  Hisoka's office was next to Tatsumi's and the boy was able to experience and share in the joys of all of the secretary's emotions that morning.  They ranged from frustration to anger to annoyance all lightly spiced with a copious amount of guilt.

Tsuzuki looked up from the cup of coffee he was adding sugar to.  "Hiya Hisoka," the older man returned pleasantly.  "How's your morning?"

The empath flopped into the chair beside him and closed his eyes tightly.  "My head hurts."

Tsuzuki knew something was wrong, not only from the fact that Hisoka had forgotten to call him an idiot, but also from the fact that the boy had also admitted he was in pain.  Immediately he had an arm around Hisoka's shoulder in what he hoped to be a comforting manner.  "Are you alright?"

Hisoka shook the older man's arm away, though he was truly touched by the gesture.  Contrary to when they'd first med, Tsuzuki's emotions were soothing.  They made him feel safe and wanted.  The two of them had come a long way since the whole incident with the Tern Snake.  They'd come a long way in that they were more restful now, but they still had a long way to go.  Tsuzuki still felt guilty over things he couldn't control, and Hisoka was still difficult and unable to express himself.  There were changes though.  Tsuzuki no longer felt guilty over what he was, and Hisoka was more personable.

They were making progress.  Enough to say that the fledgling relationship they'd entered into might actually have a chance.

"Don't worry about me," Hisoka replied gruffly.  "You should be more concerned with what you're putting in your coffee."

Looking down, Tsuzuki let out a faint yelp.  He'd forgotten about the sugar he'd been pouring into his mug, and he'd created for himself a super-saturated cup of coffee-sugar solution.  A smile graced Hisoka's lips as he asked, "Would you like some coffee with all that sugar?"

Tsuzuki stood, muttering to himself and whining about how mean Hisoka was being.  He moved to the sink and poured the sugar down the drain.  Hisoka felt himself under an intense glare as his partner moved to fill his mug once again.

Once satisfied, the violet eyed man sat back down and, with a contented sigh, he poured a modest amount of sugar into the cup.  A small, foolish smile formed after he took his first sip, causing the younger shinigami to roll his eyes.

"There's nothing wrong with wanting to appreciate the finer delicacies in life," Tsuzuki said in defence.  "What's the point in eating if you don't enjoy it?"

"So that your body can consume the necessary nutrients and energy it requires to survive."

"Oh no, my dear Hisoka," Tsuzuki said wisely.  "That's what intravenous is for.  Eating is so that you can delight your senses."

His moment was spoiled when he emphasized his point by biting into a powder-covered, strawberry filled dough-nought, and came away with the powder lining his lips and a small amount of filling dribbling down his chin.

Shaking his head, Hisoka fondly muttered something along with lines of, "Moron," and wiped the filling off his partner's face with his thumb.  Without thinking, he brought his thumb up to his lips and licked it clean, earning him a double take from the older shinigami.  Hisoka's face flushed when he realized what he'd done.

Tsuzuki smiled at the boy's actions, but didn't let Hisoka's comment slip.  "Watari, with all of his extensive scientifical knowledge, would agree with me."

This caused Hisoka to frown, brows furrowed deep in thought.  For once Tsuzuki wished he'd kept his mouth shut.  They'd both seen how poorly Tatsumi had treaded Watari, as well as Watari's response, and while it was easy to put it out of one's mind, it was equally easy to think of it again.  With empathy, Hisoka could not only hear what was being said, but he could also sense the emotions behind the words.  Unfortunately, he couldn't read the reasons behind the emotions.

So he, like everyone else, was left to try and see what had happened to upset the usually chipper blonde scientist enough to destroy his lab, and what had caused Tatsumi to treat Watari so heartlessly.  Sure Tatsumi was known as cold and distant, but he always took care of those close to him.  It wasn't in his character to strike at someone so deeply.

"You haven't seen Watari, have you?" Tsuzuki asked, disturbing the younger man's train of thought.

Hisoka shook his head, short blond hair falling into his eyes so that he had to brush it away.  "The lights weren't on in his lab… I don't think he's shown up yet…"

Trailing off, the boy realized that that was odd.  It was nearly ten o'clock, and the scientist was almost always in the office before he himself got there.  He was about to comment on that, but then he sensed the secretary coming by.  He quickly motioned for his partner to remain silent, not wanting to provoke Tatsumi's anger.  Just in time, as well, because the man stepped into the break room.

"I'm glad you two are in here.  We have a meeting at one this afternoon.  I don't want you to be late."

Tsuzuki and Hisoka exchanged puzzled glances.  They'd had a meeting only days earlier to discuss overspending in the department.  Mainly Tsuzuki's.  There was no reason for them to be having another so soon.

Before Hisoka could stop him, his violet eyed partner asked, "Would you like us to tell Watari if we see him?"

Hisoka closed his eyes, resisting the urge to either rub his temples or smack puppy-like shinigami upside the head.  He could feel Tatsumi's emotions radiating from the taller man.  It was even more disturbing that earlier because there was no longer a wall to separate them.  There was guilt, because of what he'd said to Watari, most likely, and anger as well, directed at Watari.  Hisoka surmised it was because of the scientist provoking his anger.  Finally, there was underlying frustrations, the reason for which Hisoka didn't even want to try and guess.

Tatsumi took a small step back, the emotions he felt flashing briefly in his eyes before he quickly slammed his stony mask back in place.  "Yes.  If you see him."

Hisoka and Tsuzuki didn't see the blonde scientist before the meeting, but someone else obviously did, or else he had the uncanny ability to be in the right place at the most awkward time.

Watari appeared in the meeting room looking light a train wreck.  His hair was tied back by a ribbon, but it looked as though it hadn't been brushed at all.  His hair, therefore, was all over the place.  His clothing was dishevelled as well.  It was the same outfit he'd worn the day before, and it looked as though they'd be slept in, or else left in the bottom of a closet for months.  It was as though the blonde hadn't gone home at all the night before, though it was nearly undeniable that he'd slept somewhere.  He looked utterly miserable.

Sitting down without a word as far away from the empath as humanly possible, Watari earned himself several odd looks.  It didn't matter that the scientist sat at the other end of the table, Hisoka could still sense his emotions.  They were even more confused and contradictory than Tatsumi's.  There was anger, frustration, pain, confusion, hopelessness, all mixed with the heady flavours of pleasure, comfort and satisfaction, and to top it all off, lightly sprinkled with compassion and disgust.

The young shinigami was itching to make the emotions leave him alone, or at least to figure out the underlying causes for them.  Sure, there was the argument in Watari's lab the previous night, but there was something far more drastic responsible for the puzzling mix. 

Tatsumi was obviously shocked by the scientist's appearance, and by his flustered, dishevelled look.  The secretary's eyes widened, but right after his lips tightened and he directed a  sceptical glance at the blonde.  Watari, however, wouldn't to meet his eyes, instead looking down at the small file folder resting in front of him.

At the blatant refusal to make eye contact, Tatsumi had no choice but to begin the meeting he had scheduled.  He opened with his usual tactics, but it wasn't a meeting about budgeting, as he was quick to explain.

"There have been a series of murders in Japan, all with the same M.O., and no small few have taken place within out divisions territory.  A number of souls have started showing up in Meifu without appearing in our records… at all…"

There were a few gasps of shock throughout the room.  Even those souls forced to return to Meifu before their time were registered.  Their names appeared as soon as they body died.  It created confusion for the Gushoshin twins, but even so, the souls were accounted for.

For a soul not to show up in the records meant one of two things.  One, it wasn't going to proceed to judgement, as was the case with shinigami, or two, the soul had been stripped of its identity, making it impossible for it to be judged.  It would be doomed to wander or it could be used for nefarious purposes.  Neither of which were desirable options.  It distorted the balance in Meifu.

Tatsumi gave his co-workers a moment to collect themselves before ploughing on.  "The victims have all died in either hospitals or nursing homes, and have either been elderly, or infants.  Of those from the hospitals, they have been on the verge of discharge, with no reason for their deaths.  It's very similar for those in the retirement homes.

"As far as we can surmise the killer, or killers, have chosen their victims due to will power.  An infant's soul lacks the time to bind with the body, and an elderly's begins to lose that same connection.

"Twenty-three souls in total have come to Meifu in this condition in the last month; eight in the last week.  We are reassigning you all to this investigation.  This case takes priority over what you're working on now.  You'll be given additional funding, within reason, to determine the cause of these deaths.

"You are not, I repeat, not to proceed alone if you establish the origin of this disturbance.  We do not, as of yet, know who is behind this, and we do not want any casualties.  Once we know what's going on here, as well as the killer, or killers' intent we will determine how to progress.

"Are there any questions?"

The secretary was met with confused glances.  They were being reassigned, the lot of them, to a case that was potentially dangerous and spanned all of the divisions, _and _they were receiving a larger budget.  Not many realized what the implications of this were, but among the few who did were Hisoka and Tsuzuki.  Tatsumi wasn't the one behind the reassignment.  The blue-eyed shinigami had mentioned other murders throughout Japan, and if Hisoka was to guess correctly, the other divisions were being reassigned as well.  This was a major crisis, and it was Enma himself who was ordering them to solve it.

Tatsumi dismissed his fellow shinigami after answering their questions to the best of his ability.  He pinched the bridge of this nose once they left, trying to prevent the onslaught of a migraine.  He couldn't help but feel as though he were sending them into something far more complicated than they thought, which was saying quite a bit.  It was hard to get more complicated than souls being stripped of the very things that made them human.

It didn't help matters that Watari had shown up.  It was bad enough that the blond had provoked him into saying things he had no right to speak of, but it now looked as though the blonde had been out all night, hadn't slept restfully, and he was to blame.  He felt guilty that he'd put the scientist in such a state, but couldn't figure out how to apologize.

Things weren't supposed to happen like this.  He didn't dislike any member of EnMaCho, though it was undeniable that he preferred some over others.  Tsuzuki and Hisoka, for one.  While he couldn't stand Tsuzuki's work ethics, he cared deeply for the man's well being.  And one point he might have even said he loved the man.  He knew better now.  Hisoka as well.  It had come to the point where he could imagine what the office would be like without the two of them… or without the two of them together.

Watari was a different case.  He possessed Tsuzuki's enthusiasm and love for life, though until recently it had seemed less forced.  He also had a certain amount of charm and an infectious smile.  While Tsuzuki outshone him there as well, the scientist didn't seem to mind.  Until recently Tatsumi had seen the blonde as, a friend and co-worker yes, but more importantly a pale imitation of Tsuzuki with a little more intelligence.  Ever since the incidents in Kyoto he'd been seeing something else now, something more, and it worried him.

He was about to step out of his office when he heard Hisoka's voice.

"What were you up to last night?"

"I went to get a few drinks with Terazuma," came Watari's falsely cheerful reply.

"And what about after that?  You were really late for work."

There was a long pause before Watari replied, his voice pained.  "I went for a walk.  What does it matter?"

It sounded like a mother interrogating her wayward teenager.  It was clear, even without seeing the scientist, that Watari was lying.  What Tatsumi would have given at that moment to know what Hisoka's empathy showed him.

The younger shinigami dropped the topic, and bid Watari good-bye.  Tatsumi took the opportunity to speak with the blonde.  He couldn't bring himself to apologize, but he hoped that Watari would have a pleasant conversation with him, or at least one free of insults.

He opened his mouth to speak, but suddenly couldn't think of anything to say that wouldn't lead to either of them thinking of what had happened the night before.  Watari looked at him expectantly, waiting for him to say something, and the secretary was unexpectedly more nervous than he'd ever been in life.

"Do you require a partner for your investigation?" he finally asked.  It was a business question, one that normally wouldn't hold friendship, but he hoped he would be able to keep the calculation of his business side out of his voice, and convey something like concern.

Watari gave him a look of confusion and shock before replying in a dry voice.  "This is just like research, Tatsumi.  Don't you think a partner would only get in my way?"

The blonde left, leaving the secretary to try and figure out his departing comment.  It wasn't until much later that he realized it might have been possible for Watari to have thought he was offering himself as a partner, and that the reply was much more scathing than he'd taken it.


	6. Chapter V: Undercover

**AN:** I realize it's been a long time since I updated. I blame it on exams and the summer job from hell. Anyway, here's the next chapter.

Again, I'm pleading for anyone who wants to join into RPs, visit lostboyvideo. com/phoenix/ I promise it'll be fun.

Chapter V

Undercover

Watari was stewing when he reached his lab. Or maybe stewing wasn't the right word for it. Fuming seemed much more appropriate for the way he was feeling. So many things had gone wrong the past few days. Granted, sleeping with Muraki was the worst of it, but it was undeniable that it had been Tatsumi's words that had driven him to it. It could all be lain at Tatsumi's feet. The way the older man only came to him if he needed something; using him… it made him feel horrible. And then the man actually had the nerve to call him useless!

It wasn't only that though. Tatsumi had called him a failure as well!

He'd been a good scientist. Despite everything that had happened in life… and in death, he was adamant about that. He'd been able to improve upon a lot of things with his work. And how many other people could claim they'd gotten their PhD before they were twenty-five. Sure, he'd be clumsy, and he'd taken risks he probably shouldn't have, but his employer had been able to overlook that.

But then he _had _failed… his parents thought his work was pointless… his fiancée had only been with him to use him… it was his fault he'd left the gas on overnight in the lab so that when he'd turned the lights on the next morning…

But then he _had_ failed… was a failure… it just wasn't something a friend should ever bring up.

Slamming his hand hard down on the counter, Watari caused the newly replaced panes of glass in the cupboards to vibrate. He was wallowing in self-pity, and what's worse, it was about something that had happened nearly a quarter or a century ago. He couldn't change what had happened in the past; only strive to make up for it. It made him angry that he could feel so sorry for himself. He was even more angry with Tatsumi for making him feel like that.

But it kept getting better. The secretary didn't even think he was capable of doing the assignment on his own. He thought he needed a partner to help him so that he wouldn't screw things up… as though he couldn't handle anything more than a well-placed prank or a cup of coffee.

Opening on of the cupboards in the lab, Watari muttered to himself. He rifled through the miraculously undamaged contents, trying to find his clipboard and a clean change of clothing. He hadn't gone home after his encounter with Muraki. He hadn't had time to get changed. Yet that wasn't the real reason. He'd already been late. Another half an hour couldn't have made a difference. He simply hadn't been in his right mind, moving in a trance until Tatsumi had come to speak with him… and then he'd just been angry.

He was in a clean pair of pants and in the process of pulling his shirt over his head when Tsuzuki… eternally cheerful Tsuzuki came in carrying a plate of pastries from the break room.

"You didn't look like you were feeling very good when you came in, so I thought I'd bring you some…" The older shinigami trailed off when he saw his friend's bare torso. Watari was thin. That fact had never been questioned. Neither had the fact that he was very pale. It was just surprisingly more evident when compared to the fact that the blonde's upper body was littered with dark bruises and various bite marks.

"Watari… Ah…?" the violet eyed man sputtered.

Watari shrugged the shirt on and offered his friend a sheepish grin. "I fell down the stairs," he offered simply, and the added when Tsuzuki looked sceptical, "And accidentally bit myself."

"Um… alright…" was the reply as Tsuzuki gave his friend a weak smile, and a pastry.

Shaking his head, the scientist busied himself with putting on socks and shoes. "No thank you, I've already eaten…"

A faint blush crept onto Watari's pale cheeks when he trailed off. He'd had breakfast in Muraki's house after he'd woken for the third time. The good doctor had been up before him and made breakfast in bed. He couldn't help but feel guilty over that, because of everything the silver haired man had done, and what he represented. But right then, it was overridden by the fact that no one had every made him breakfast in bed, and no one had _ever _called him beautiful. Not even his…

It was simply impossible to connect in his mind the mass murderer and the charismatic man he'd met in a bar. Simply put, in his mind, Muraki and Kazutaka we two different men.

_As long as I can keep the two separate in my mind I'll be able to maintain my sanity_, he thought to himself before adding, _And as long as I don't let something like that happen again_.

Tsuzuki continued to look at him oddly as he considers things. Looking at Tsuzuki, the blonde felt his heart sink. Even if he could keep the two sides of Muraki separate in his mind, it didn't change the fact that he'd screwed up again… _Always failing those around me._

"Ah, Watari…" Tsuzuki tried to catch his friend's attention.

Watari's attention did snap back to the other shinigami, and he flashed the man a brilliant, though entirely forced, smile. It managed to look believably sincere however; enough to fool Tsuzuki. "I'm sorry, I just have a lot on my mind."

This seemed to take Tsuzuki aback. It hadn't been what he was expecting. "I… ah… guess that's understandable… quite a bit going on for you…" The brunette trailed off, and Watari didn't need his friends gesture to know his friend was talking about his lab, though whether it was the destruction of it, or Tatsumi's words… "Actually, Hisoka and I were wondering if you wanted us to come with you to Kyoto. We have to stop there anyway, and we thought you might like the company."

Watari's eyes narrowed, and his lips pursed in anger; Tsuzuki wasn't offering company, he was offering help. He didn't have a partner, so obviously he wouldn't be able to complete his assignment. He was too much of a "flighty failure of a scientist."

The blonde tried to keep his voice from sounding too biting, bue he couldn't help but let some of his anger and annoyance show through. "No thank you, Tsuzuki. You and bon have your own sector to work on. I don't need you two babysitting me."

Tsuzuki literally took a step back from the impact of the words. It didn't take the blond scientist two seconds to realize how painful his words were; especially not with the hurt expression on his friend's face.

Biting the inside of his lip, Tsuzuki turned to leave, muttering over his shoulder, "I just thought you might like the company."

He couldn't understand the younger man. He was being pushed away when it seemed as though Watari needed him the most. It was obvious the other man was n desperate need of a shoulder to lean on. Still, if Watari wanted alone time, Tsuzuki would give it to him. Like Hisoka said before, if Watari wanted to talk to him, he knew where to find him.

Watari couldn't help but cringe, realizing he was being an ass. Tsuzuki was hardly one to ever have ulterior motives. He was just being unreasonable and over sensitive. He sighed as be pulled his hair back and turned around. "I'm sorry Tsu. I just… have a lot on my mind right now.

Nodding, Tsuzuki seemed to accept the blonde's excuse. "Just remember that I'm always here if you need someone to talk to."

Tsuzuki didn't wait for Watari to reply. He just took it for granted that the blonde would take him up on the offer.

As it was, Watari did nod, though in his heart he knew he never would. _Not about this at least…_

Leaning with his back to the wall, Hisoka waited for his partner to leave Watari's lab. It might not be any of his business, but he knew something wasn't right with their usually optimistic scientist. It wasn't so much what he felt through his empathy, but through the way the blonde was always on the defensive, and the way he carried himself. Something was simply off…

What was worse was that the scientist, who was normally good at guarding his emotions so as to not cause Hisoka any discomfort, was even more reserved and guarded than before. In a way it made him feel more uncomfortable than if the blonde's emotions had been open for him to read. At least that way he wouldn't constantly be wondering what Watari was feeling.

Tsuzuki stepped out of the lab, his face lined with worry.

"What happened?" Hisoka didn't need to see is partner's face to know the older man was worried. His emotions were like an open book, if he only wanted to try and read them. Compared to Watari, Tsuzuki's openness was unbelievably refreshing.

"Watari is keeping secrets."

Hisoka rolled his eyes. "A person without any secrets would be frightening."

"Yes, but Watari never had secrets before. At least not ones that are this conspicuous. He's open. He doesn't keep secrets like this. It's not normal.

Sighing, Hisoka replied, "I know what you're talking about, but there isn't anything we can do. It's not your place to pry. And I'm sure he'll settle things in his own way, and tell you when he's ready."

"But I want to know now," Tsuzuki whined. "It's just not right."

Hisoka raised one eyebrow.

"But I guess you're right…"

The irony of the whole situation was that deep down inside, Hisoka felt like his partner did. Something was definitely wrong with Watari, but the emerald-eyed boy was just too afraid to dig deeper and find out why. He didn't want to have to face the skeletons their digging unearthed.

Watari self-consciously adjusted his lab coat as he appeared in the hospital. He wasn't normally one for undercover work, preferring to stay in his lab. He hoped he wouldn't blow it. He didn't want another failure on his mind; another failure to make up for. He already had more than enough of those to deal with.

Carefully opening the door, he stepped out of the small room and into the hallway. He made his way towards the front desk, making silent observations as he went; where supplies were stored, what time the nurses made their rounds, where the janitor's closet was… The best way to go unnoticed was to look like he belonged.

He'd chosen that particular hospital because it was fairly large; one of the largest ones yet to be hit by their mysterious, soul consuming villain. It only seemed likely that if their suspect was to attack in Kyoto again, this would be where he struck, somewhere a sudden death wouldn't be looked upon with suspicion. If there were going to be more attacks in Kyoto, the suspect would certainly attack there, and sooner, rather than later. All Watari would then need to do was search for patters between the cases, and wait patiently for the attacker to strike again. If he was lucky he might even catch the killer in the act, or he would find the pattern and figure things out from there.

It was a challenge, and Watari loved challenges, no matter the type.

His firs plan of attack was to determine all of places that would house individuals who fell within the attackers target range: the elderly, and infants. The two most obvious places would then be the maternity and geriatric wards. The blonde decided to begin with the former.

The best way to capture the villain would be to trap it where it struck, so Watari decided to place the entire floor under a ward. That way if the attacker tried to steal one of the children's souls, he could be trapped there for at least several minutes, giving someone enough time to either stop him, or capture him.

Closing his eyes, the scientist drew on something deep within himself. He chanted the incantation under his breath. Where Tsuzuki would use his fuda, Watari preferred to rely on himself. Though there were other people much more talented at this in the department, Hisoka for one, he was still capable, it would just take him a little more time, and a little more energy.

It was a complicated process, but he managed to finish within a reasonable amount of time. Erect the ward, tie it to the room, erect another, and tie it to the children's souls. Then came the difficult part, erecting barriers. A barrier to tie the second ward back to the first, preventing any free souls from leaving the room. It was complicated because it couldn't prevent the souls from departing through natural means, and it couldn't be permenant. Finally, he needed to set up a dormant, more physical barrier, one that was tied to both wards that would only kick in if the culprit attacked.

Watari opened his eyes, a pleased smile on his face. There was something that wasn't going to fall apart on him. Something that proved he wasn't a complete failure all the time.

If only he'd remembered how tired it would leave him.

Taking a deep breath, he stepped back from the window and managed not to sway overmuch. Overmuch being the operative word. He felt as thought a weak breeze might knock him over.

Or a ball.

He went crumbling to the floor. Looking stupidly at the small red and blue ball that collided with his stomach, Watari tried to catch his breath. A small child, no more than five or six followed the ball. She stopped in front of the scientist with an odd smile or her face.

"What are you doing on the floor, Mister? You might catch a cold."

Pulling himself up off the ground, the blonde swayed as he looked at the girl. He offered her the ball, but wondered what she was doing there without anyone looking after her.

"I'm fine," he replied with a bright smile. "But where are your parents? Are you lost?"

The little girl shook her head, giggling. "I'm visiting my grandpa. He had surgery. My mom says his soul is to go to a better place though." She bounced once and stared intently at Watari's face. "Are you going to go to a better place?"

The child bounced again on the balls of her feet and then was off, ball in hand. The scientist stared at the girl's back, utterly confused. That was a really strange thing for a child to ask, and it made him feel uncomfortable. What _would _happen to his soul if he died?

He shook his head to rid himself of the depressing thoughts, and headed up to the geriatrics unit. The second he got there, however, the power went out.

Muraki had arrived at work late as well that day, but he'd had more time to prepare; a shower, a change of clothes, another cup of coffee. He'd even read the newspaper.

Watari was a mystery to him. Despite only having a few encounters with the blonde, he was fairly easy to read and understand… but then there were parts of him that Muraki couldn't fathom at all: like the previous night, or that morning. Why did the blonde come to him? Why was he so anxious to leave? Why was he afraid?

The blond haired beauty was a mystery, but he was a delicious one, and one that Muraki would take a great deal of pleasure in unravelling.

If only I had some way of contacting him. If I dared approach him… 

That was the main problem. The blonde was very much like a cat. It simply wouldn't do to chase him. More to the point, it would only drive him away. Muraki had tried it in the beginning, but it had become painfully evident that if he wanted the blonde he was going to have to convince the man first that he wanted it too, and next that it was his own idea.

For someone who was accustomed to simply taking what he wanted it was surprisingly frustrating… and for some reason, undeniably attractive. There was something about having to wait, about not being in full control… the suspense, the spontaneity, the surprise... It only served to make the blonde more desirable.

He only hoped he didn't have to wait too long to see Watari again. He might get impatient, and that wouldn't be fun… for either of them. Quite the contrary, in truth.

A faint smile formed on his lips as he thought about all of this. If only the inane nurse prattling on beside him about who knew what could hear what he was thinking. He had to bite back a little laughter as he watched him swoon over some polite flattery he'd paid her.

"What do you think, doctor?"

He had no idea what she was referring to , so he smiled charmingly, and she swooned again. "I think you're distracting me form my work."

I'm really thinking about how much I'd like to be screwing that lovely blonde than standing next to you.

The nurse giggled cutely, not knowing what was on Muraki's mind, and scampered of. The silver haired man sighed in relief, and then inhaled deeply. He'd been late for work, so now he had to move quitckly to make up for it.

He was about to finish his rounds when suddenly the power went out and the hallway went pitch black.

He froze, waiting for the emergency generator to kick in. When it didn't, he began to worry. That should never happen. It wasn't just that, however. There were things moving about in the darkness. Unnatural things. Or would supernatural be more appropriate. They moved in and about one of the patients rooms.

The lights flickered back on, but not before Muraki felt one of the things brush against him an into another door. Then it simply disappeared.

And then there was the sudden sound of a flat line. Doctors and nurses shouting out "Code Blue!" More doctors and nurses came in, defibulator ready, trying to revive the old man.

They couldn't resuscitate him, and it struck Muraki as odd. The man was due for release that very afternoon. Just a minor surgery, and he'd recovered brilliantly. His chart even stated that he was healthy. Not even the shock of the power outage should have induced a heart attack. Something simply wasn't right.

Muraki had his greatest shock of the day when he saw Watari standing by one of the elevators in a daze. It was surprising enough that the blonde was there to begin with, but he looked as though he'd just seen his own ghost.

"Did you know him?" Muraki felt it polite to ask.

Watari shook his head numbly, making it evident that he wasn't entirely there. Almost too softly, he whispered, "This isn't natural."

It was only through great self-control that Muraki was able to keep from showing his surprise. It wasn't often something surprised him, or that he didn't know something. He'd been drawn to the blonde for purely aesthetic reasons, not knowing anything about him. The prospect of finding more out was rather appealing. Even that simple mystery was interesting.

But know there was something more; something surprising. For the first time he could remember, he was curious. Could Watari see what he saw, or was it something more? It was a nagging curiosity. He _needed_ to know.

And since he wasn't the resident doctor for the room it wasn't up to him to inform the next of kin that a man who was supposed to be released that very day had died of myocardial infraction. And this just after he'd been declared of perfect health.

Grabbing the hand of the stunned, and stunning, blonde, Muraki led the other out of the hospital. It was strange, because even outside the hospital Watari didn't snap out of it. Dazed, the blond was malleable. What was stranger though was that Muraki didn't feel inclined to take advantage of it. Quite the contrary, it would ruin the challenge.


End file.
